1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit breaker for an installation handling fluid under pressure such as a gas or a liquid, in particular water, freon, an oil, etc . . .
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is known to produce a circuit breaker comprising two elements, male and female, adapted to fit axially in each other, causing an internal valve to open. Such a valve is generally provided with an O-ring intended to ensure seal between the valve and a sealing body disposed around the valve when the valve is in closed position.
Such a circuit breaker is shown in accompanying FIGS. 7 to 9, these Figures corresponding to three successive positions of the elements constituting the circuit breaker when the male and female elements are coupled. O-rings J.sub.1 and J.sub.2 are respectively provided, around a mobile valve C and a piston P for maneuvering this valve, to abut against sealing surfaces of a connector E or of the piston P. Taking into account the pressure P.sub.0 prevailing around the valve C in the position of FIGS. 7 and 8, the O-ring J.sub.1, tends to be driven from the housing L made on the periphery of the valve C and to slide up to around the piston P, as shown in FIG. 9. A similar dislocation may occur during an opening of the circuit breaker. This operational defect is unacceptable, since the seal between the valve and the connector is in that case no longer ensured, due to the absence of the O-ring J.sub.1.
When the male connection, located to the left in FIGS. 7 to 9, is connected to a source of pressure, while the female connection is connected to a fluid-consuming installation, the difference in pressure is reversed with respect to that shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 and the risk of dislocation principally concerns joint J.sub.2.
In any case, as soon as the difference in pressure between the two conduits connected to the male and female elements attains a critical value, one of the joints risks being ejected. This critical value depends on the fluid, on the nature of the joint and on the geometry of the elements constituting the circuit breaker. It may be less than 5 bars for circuit breakers used conventionally, with the result that the danger of ejection of a joint is present under the normal conditions of use of the circuit breaker.
In order to overcome this drawback, it may be provided to mold the joint in a housing of the dove-tail type, to crimp the joint or to effect an assembly with the aid of two pieces which imprison the joint. These solutions are expensive and require a more complex assembly, thus increasing manufacturing time. These solutions also render the foreseeable maintenance operations on the circuit breaker delicate.
It is a particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks, by proposing a circuit breaker in which the risks of ejection of a joint with respect to its accommodating housing are very substantially reduced, if not eliminated.